Strength
by Prevail18
Summary: Earthbenders are known for their resolve, resourcefulness and patience. While training in the wilderness, a student learns the true meaning these qualities.


Strength.

That's all I could think about right now. My eyes were closed, and my body was freezing. I had to stay strong.

I had been sitting for about an hour now, and by now the initial shock of the freezing cold water barrelling over a cliff onto my bare back had worn off. My master had instructed me to sit here until he would come to fetch me, and he gave no indication when that would occur. He told me that although I, as an Earthbending student, did not work with this element; I would need to be aware of the relationship between water and rock.

Water, as he explained it, has the unique ability to wear down rock over time. Erosion happens by water slowly washing over rock, wiping it smooth when given long enough. I would need to learn to be stronger; to be patient in the face of subtle erosion.

I breathed deeply and slowly to keep from gasping water into my lungs. This was as north as the Earth Kingdom got. At this time of year the snow-tipped firs swayed slowly in the wind, precariously holding their freezing cargo from dropping on the unsuspecting below. I could see the steam from my breath dissipate in front of my face.

My master was stern with his rules. I had been training with his for a year now, and I had not known "hardship" until I came under his tutelage. He was weathered, but stalwart; I had heard great tales –legends, even- of his actions against the ruthless Fire Nation. They had painted him like I had come to know him: patient, calculating, and a perfect practitioner of neutral jing. I had been told time and time again: "Your actions must be unexpected. You must be creative. You must beat your opponent before he has even thrown his first strike."

It was something I was still striving for. I had not been able to best him during sparring yet. All his movements seemed to lead into something else: a rock wall thrown up for defense would be shoved my way once it has served its purpose, turning to sand before it hit me. The same sand would then form shackles, binding me. My master seemed so... in control.

I fought the temptation to create a granite ceiling, or a rock arch to divert the water from pouring on me. I kept telling myself "He will be back soon." I pictured in my head a warm fire and delicious grilled chickenfowl on a spit. My mind drifted as I felt subtle vibrations in the ground under my feet folded under me. The soles of my feet tingled as what was once a slight hum now grew greater. Something was... coming? I cleared my mind as my master had instructed me to, focusing on the origins of the waves and the patterns of their emanation. It felt like a whirlpool was forming below me... an... earthquake?

The next thing I knew I was falling into blackness.

Rocks and dust stung my vision as water continued to pour down from above. My mind scrambled. How deep was this fall? Where would I be landing?

I wouldn't be able to explain it to you in a way that would make sense. My arm flew out and cut in front of me; a rock slab extended from the wall beneath me and recessed as I hit it. It dipped precariously; I struggled to right it, but the pressure of the water on it kept it from going completely horizontal. I needed to move. I needed a foothold... a... tunnel! That was it.

I stood up and used my bare feet to attempt to keep the slab at a graspable angle as I pushed out in front of me: a rectangular portion of the stone recessed at my beckoning. I stepped inside it and let the stone slab fall. I could collect myself here.

I started thinking about the situation I was in: I was so deep down the newly created pit that light did not travel here; it was pitch black and my eyes still stung: I was effectively blind. Traversing back up the way I came was now out of the question, as the water still poured from above. This would limit my ability to create earthen ramps and my footing on them. I sat and thought: how would master get out of this?

I shook my head to keep myself from dozing off. I was completely fatigued and needed sleep desperately. However, I think my current predicament needed my attention more. My mind raced as I tried to come up with a way out. Could I try... tunneling? I made this outcropping easy enough...

I stood up and ignored the rising feeling of numbness in my feet; right now, these would be my best tools. I took a moment to collect myself and feel the earth that surrounded me. I could not risk triggering loose earth and caving myself in. With a deep breath I concentrated, and started to probe out in all directions. A den of badgermoles seemed to be my only company down in the black, and they were half a mile away. Master always placed importance on observation of these animals; they burrowed and made homes in the earth using a complex series of tunnels that jutted out in spiralling patterns... wait... that was it!

I adopted a rigid stance and took a strike at the earth in front of me. The wall that limited my room previous moved backwards a foot. Repeating this process, I began my work. In order to avoid collapsing my tunnel, I would have to work in large circles, precariously moving upwards with every revolution. I had to correct my idea to collapse the tunnel behind me; my master had warned me of the dangers of underground suffocation.

It took time. The ground was solid and packed. I took the time to rest as I needed it; I would taste the surface air sooner or later.

Strike. Strike. Strike. Over and over. Unrelenting. Unwavering.

I would not let this place consume me. Not today. Not after I've come this far.

Strike. Strike. Str-whoa!

My arm burst through the surface and flailed about. I had broken through a snow bank and I was up to my elbow in snow. My fingers felt fresh air, but I could not stop the snow from funneling into my tunnel; coupled with my previous chill and lack of energy, the weight was almost unbearable. The 

packed snow weighed on my shoulder as I dug my other arm into the wall of my tunnel. I wasn't going down, but I could not move, either. My breathing quickened as I realized that I could die at this moment, or any that followed. I was scared... I was pained... I panicked.

Suddenly, I was wrenched from the hole. My face felt fresh air as I collapsed in the snow, my eyes stinging from the new light present and my body failing to keep conscious. I had just enough time to hear one thing the blurry figure that had saved me had to say:

"Congratulations. You survived the test. We spar tomorrow morning."


End file.
